The Life and Death of Ardyn Izunia
by KuroiWashi
Summary: Everybody knows the tragedy of Ardyn Izunia. But who knows what actually happened to him before he was rejected by the Six? Who knows the pains he had to face and deal with for two thousands years? This is what this story intends to tell.
1. Lestallum's theatre

**Lestallum's theatre**

 _Lestallum's theatre, two thousand years ago_

Ardyn is perched on the last step of the stairs leading to Lestallum's theatre. He seems to be waiting for someone. It is the beginning of the evening on Lestallum; the sun hasn't set yet.

Ardyn catches sight of a woman going out of the theatre. She is blonde and wears a long black dress, as well as a hat of the same colour. She goes down the stairs hastily.

When she has nearly reached the bottom of the stairs, Ardyn teleports behind her, a couple of steps up.

'Miss,' he calls. 'You've lost something.'

The young lady stops and turns around. Ardyn looks at her with a smile, turning her hat between his fingers. Mechanically, she raises her hand in her hair. When she realises that her hat is truly missing, she takes a step forward, frowning.

'Must be the first time that it happens to me,' she mumbles. 'Thank you.'

She stretches her arm to take her hat, but instead of giving it back to her, Ardyn raises his voice :

'I like this hat a lot,' he says puckishly. 'Does it bother you if I try it on?'

'Well, it would bother me, indeed,' she answers, looking definitely exasperated. 'Listen, I am in a hurry, so please, give it to me.'

'By all means. Here it is.'

Ardyn stretches his arm to give it to her, but at the moment that she touches it, he teleports once again behind her. Marlys gasps, looking for him, and finally finds him by turning around. Ardyn puts her hat on and wears a wide smile. Marlys looks intrigued.

'Ok, how did you do this?' she asks suspiciously.

'Do what ?' he retorts, amused.

'Do not take me for a fool, I was just talking to you and you were on the other side of the stairs.'

'Oh! That! It's a little trick. How do you find me, with your hat?'

Marlys stares at him, her hands on her hips.

'So, it is not just an impression. You really take me for a fool.'

'It would be really rude of me,' he retorts, pouting. 'I doubt that an idiot could possibly aim a talent like yours on stage.'

'Did you see the play?'

'It is the third time that I come to see you,' he answers, illustrating the total with his fingers. 'I wanted to talk to you.'

'Oh, really?' she says, sarcastically. 'And yet, you seem far more interested by my hat than by me.'

Ardyn didn't leave his smile:

'Only a bit more.'

Exasperated, she stretches her arm to grasp her hat, but he teleports once again behind her and puts the hat on her head.

Marlys turns around, definitely surprised, and adjusts the position of the hat.

'Are you a magician?' she asks very seriously.

A light of interest is appearing in her eyes while pronouncing these words.

'Sort of,' he answers with modesty.

'Can you teach me?'

'I'm afraid that this trick is limited to my own use. But you do not need that to impress.'

A charming smile appears on his face. Marlys pretends not to understand, though her cheeks become slightly red.

'Who are you, anyway?'

Ardyn has a little sigh:

'A man of no consequence.'

'Oh, really,' she retorts with sarcasm. 'And does the man of no consequence have a name?'

'I will tell you mine if you tell me yours,' he whispers with a beguiling expression.

She smiles for the very first time.

'Marlys.'

Ardyn bows, curtsying elegantly:

'And I am Ardyn Izunia, your most humble servant.'

When he straightens up, he raises his voice again:

'Would you care if your servant was to take one of your precious minutes to offer you a drink?'

Marlys rolls her eyes. She had already turned around to leave. However, although in a real hurry, she finds herself in the incapacity to refuse. She doesn't know if it is again a trick of his, but she's got the curious impression to be attracted to him.

'Do not expect me to grant you a special treatment just because you have magical powers,' she mumbles finally, without turning in his direction.

'I take that for a yes,' he says enthusiastically.

He comes closer to her, the smile still on his lips. He makes eye-contact for the first time with her. There is a peculiar glow of fascination in his stare.

'How about my place, for instance?' he asks, leaning his head in her direction.

'Are you serious? I've just met you, I mean… _you_! A complete stranger! And you expect me to go to your place as if we were the best friends in the world?'

'Well, by all means!' he shouts out. 'What are you afraid of?'

'Oh, come on, don't play the innocent now. Listen, I've known dozens of guys like you who just want to hook up. And I tell you that if it is what it is about, you'll have to open your wallet because I'm not cheap for freaks like you.'

'Name your price, then,' he replies very simply, seemingly not bothered in any way by any of her words.

A bit unsettled by his quick response, she seems to think a bit, then she raises her voice again:

'A hundred bucks. My place. No exception.'

'And what if I say… two thousand gils, _my_ place?' Ardyn suddenly asks softly.

She turns her face to him, completely abashed:

'Are you kidding me?'

'It that a yes, or a no?'

Ardyn's smile disappeared. He maintains eye-contact with her to make her speak. She gulps uncomfortably. Not willing to lose face, she mumbles:

'Well, yes. Ok.'

'Please, follow me, then,' Ardyn gives tit for tat, finding his smile again.

They cross the street next to each other, finding their way out of the city centre. Ardyn is walking fast, and Marlys finds it a bit hard to keep up.

'Where do you lead me?' she asks after a moment, surprised to arrive on the main road.

'To my car. I am parked a bit further.'

'Your car? Where do you live?'

'In Leide.'

'In Leide?! Are you joking?'

Ardyn stops all of a sudden, just in front of a cart dragged by two chocobos. He turns to Marlys with an inquisitive expression on his face:

'Didn't you give me your agreement?'

'Well… I was not expecting you to live so far from here. How am I going to get back?'

'I will simply drive you back.'

'Honestly?'

'Honestly. No fare to pay.'

They finally arrive to the main parking of the city.

'Is this a Constellation?' she asks in awe as they get closer to his car.

'Indeed,' he responds very calmly. 'I see that you're a connoisseur. Please, get in.'


	2. The consent

**The consent**

 _Ardyn's place – Leide (somewhere between Hammerhead and Galdina Quay)_

Marlys penetrates in the apartment after he unlocks the door. She looks around curiously. Paintings are covering the walls of the hall. He helps her to remove her jacket while she gets in the living room. A huge sitar is resting on a large coffee table made of glass.

Ardyn gets near the wooden bar to fetch some glasses and a bottle of a rich brown-looking alcohol.

'Ice cubes?' he asks casually.

She doesn't answer. She is too busy looking at his collection of books. She is most particularly intrigued by a thick volume concerning "the multiple forms of art".

'Open it,' says Ardyn, plunging some ice cubes in one of the glasses. 'Be my guest.'

'There is nothing you can miss, can you?' she asks, turning around to him, the book in her hands.

'I'm a good observer,' he responds, shrugging.

He invites her to sit in one of the large couches. She puts the book on her knees, opens it and starts reading the chapter concerning theatre. Meanwhile, Ardyn hands her the glass.

'It's fascinating,' she says. 'There's everything here.'

She takes a gulp of her glass. Enjoying the sweet taste of the alcohol, she raises her voice again:

'This is very good, thank you.'

'I want the best for my guests,' he replies simply before sitting in front of her.

He stretches his legs, half-lying on his couch with his glass in the hand. He observes her as she is reading the book with attention. Although she doesn't speak for a long moment, he doesn't try to break the silence. He contents himself with watching her reactions through her reading.

It is only after fifteen minutes that Marlys realises that she got distracted by her reading and forgot her host.

'Oh, my…' she says, closing the book. 'I'm sorry for my lack of respect. This book definitely got my attention.'

'Do not apologise! On the contrary, it is fortunate to think that we share many commons points.'

Marlys sips the end of her glass, still a bit shameful. She can feel the liquid warming her body gently. Ardyn finishes his own drink in a quick gulp, moving his head backwards. Then, with an elegant gesture, he puts the glass on the table. Suddenly a bit intimidated, and willing not to stay silent for too long, she asks a new question, pointing the sitar:

'Can you play this instrument?'

'I can, indeed. I've been traveling all around Eos with it.'

'Do you mean that you are making concerts?'

'Here and there. It is my way of making a living.'

'Sounds easy enough,' she comments, looking around again at all his beautiful furniture. 'You must be very talented to be that rich.'

'Or very fortunate,' he says, smiling.

'Can you play for me?'

'By all means!' he responds enthusiastically. 'But first, there is another matter of huge importance…'

He gets up and comes to sit beside her. For a couple of seconds, they look at each other with curiosity. Then, Ardyn leans on her, holding her face like a treasure. For a moment, he seems lost in the blue of her eyes. Marlys feels her heart thumping in her chest like never before.

'Oh yes, that,' she mumbles uncomfortably, trying to stay sharp. 'Nearly forgot. What do you want me to d…'

Before she can finish her question, Ardyn joins his lips with hers. Marlys can smell his delicate perfume of lavender as she lets his hand sliding down her legs, showering them with soft strokes.

After ending the kiss, she wants to speak, but he makes her silent by putting a finger on her lips. Having done so, he picks her up so suddenly that she gasps in surprise. She seems as light as a feather in his arms as he leads her to the adjoining bedroom. They fall on the bed where Ardyn doesn't stop kissing her. He blocks her arms on each side of the bed in a submissive position. When at last Marlys gets the chance to speak again, her voice is shaking:

'You're kissing me as if your life depended on it.'

Ardyn looks away. For the first time, his face shows his embarrassment.

'Believe it or not, our meeting was not a coincidence,' he says, releasing her arms and straightening up.

'What do you mean?' she asks, frowning.

'I mean… that I had a vision of you.'

'A vision of me?'

'A dream, to be precise. Several weeks ago, while I had never set foot in Lestallum, I dreamed that you were my wife and that you were carrying my child.'

There is an uncomfortable silence. Marlys seems completely lost about his explanation.

'So… you mean that… even before seeing my face, you dreamed of me?'

'Exactly'.

Suspicion can be read on Marlys' face. She doesn't seem convinced by Ardyn's words.

'Ok, technically, that's… totally impossible, right?'

'Why would it be? I've always had dreams of that kind.'

'But how did you find me in the first place?'

'I went where the road was leading me. I wanted to play in Lestallum. Then, I had this strange feeling that I was going to see something very beautiful at the theatre. So I bought tickets. And then, I finally saw you.'

Marlys rolls her eyes.

'Ok, stop with the jokes now.'

'I know, it doesn't seem likely at all. And yet, you will have to believe me. This vision was meant to be true. Like all the others.'

'The others?'

There is a pause. Ardyn seems to be even more embarrassed than before.

'I can foresee the future. Predict one person's death, for example. In my adoptive family, I dreamed of the death of the patriarch and it realised the exact next day. I was nine at the time. Then, all kinds of things kept happening as I saw them in my dreams. My adoptive mother used to say that it was a gift from the gods. I don't know what to believe, but what is sure, is that our meeting was meant to be…'

'So you are implying that I am to marry you and carry a child of you?'

'Yes' he replies, as casually as if they were talking about the weather.

'And what if I refuse?' Marlys asks, frowning.

'There's no point in going against it. It is the way it is meant to be.'

Suddenly, she gets up and starts pacing the room, looking utterly annoyed:

'Now, wait now! Who do you think you are? You think you can manipulate me into doing things that I don't want to do, under the pretext of some fairy tale? I've known lots of creeps in my life, but it's the first time that I hear such nonsense. I have to go.'

She goes in the direction of the door. He doesn't stop her. Looking very calm, he watches her leaving the room in silence.

When she arrives in the hall, she turns back suddenly, going straight to his room:

'May I have my money?' she asks, still vexed.

'Of course.'

A smile appears on Ardyn's lips. He doesn't seem worried at all. He looks into the pocket of his jacket to find the promised sum of two thousands gils. Marlys counts the money attentively. Then, she returns to the hall. She puts her jacket on, her movements betraying her irritation. However, at the precise moment where she is ready to touch the doorknob, something seems to stop her.

She turns around once again, frowning. She makes a couple of slow paces to his room. He is still sitting on the bed, a peaceful expression on his face. He didn't leave his smile.

'What are you doing?' she asks accusatively.

'I'm not doing anything,' he responds calmly.

'How am I supposed to return to Lestallum if you don't drive me back?'

Ardyn seems sorry for her:

'I'm afraid I never drive during the night. If you want my services, you will have to wait until next morning.'

'To hell with that!' she shouts, definitely irritated. 'I should have never accepted your proposition in the first place. You tricked me!'

There is a new little silence. Then, Ardyn clears his throat:

'I'm not sure I understand what you infer by "trick". I merely proposed you a drink.'

'But now I am stuck at your place! I don't even know if there is any possibility to rent a chocobo around here.'

'Ah-, there is, actually. The only danger would be the monsters. See, from here to Lestallum is a long road, especially at night.'

'So it's the damn truth, I am stuck with you now!'

'Until the morning. Does not seem so terrible to me.'

He stares at her with a mischievous smile. Marlys is in fury. She takes a deep breath before collapsing in the nearest chair.

'Are you going to rape me?' she mumbles after a long silence.

Ardyn doesn't answer. His look is very serious, all of a sudden, and his smile has disappeared.

'Because, if you intend to do it, let's do it now. I'm ready to have whatever it takes to get out of here.'

'What are you afraid of, Marlys?'

It is the first time that he pronounces her name. His voice is kind, without any trace of ambiguity.

'I'm afraid that you're worse than any of the other creeps that I met before you. Some of them wanted me so much that they kept me for themselves. I lived as a prisoner at that time. I could only escape when they had enough of me.'

Ardyn listens intently to all of her words. He has a troubled expression on his face.

'You're talking about abuse,' he whispers. 'There will be no need of that with me, I can assure you.'

'Even if I refuse to be your... wife or anything?'

'Of course. I tend to overestimate my abilities to see the future. It confuses my mind and makes contact with other people difficult. As a matter of fact, I have to apologise for what I said before. I didn't intend to scare you or to make you feel uncomfortable. Now I understand that you had all the reasons to be afraid.'

He gets up and leaves the room. Shortly afterwards, he comes back with two glasses of the same brownish liquid, both of them filled with ice cubes. He holds one of them to Marlys. Her stare is out of focus, and she seems to take her first gulp without any real desire to drink.

'Talk to me about your concerts,' she says after a little moment, still not looking at him. 'What do you like the most about it?'

He seems to think a bit, raising his eyes to the ceiling.

'Interesting question,' he points out. 'I guess that what I love the most about performing is that it's like being naked in front of a crowd. It makes me feel vulnerable, but also greatly powerful at the same time. The mere thought of captivating the crowd, even only for a couple of minutes, gives me an incomparable feeling of rapture.'

He finishes his glass with a long mouthful, then leaves the room again, only to come back with his sitar.

'But the only way to show you what I mean, is to play.'

He sits on the rug, in front of the fireplace. In spite of his important height and muscle structure, the sitar still looks enormous in his hands.

Without further ado, he starts playing. After a short moment, Marlys seems to get out of her reverie. Her eyes are aiming at him, and soon, she seems deeply interested by the playing of the curious instrument. She can feel the emotion of the moment, she can even imagine what he's thinking about while performing. It is so intense that she considers nearly rude to stand in the same place. As if that moment was too intimate to share with anybody else. When the song finishes, Marlys is in tears, but ensures that it isn't noticeable by drying her face with her sleeve.

Afterwards, she decides to get up to remove her jacket. Ardyn didn't move much. He only dropped off his instrument on the floor next to him. As for Marlys before, his stare is out of focus, and he seems deeply lost in his thoughts. It is only when she gets closer to him to sit on his crossed legs that he emerges from his daydream. He circles her with his arms, looking at her intently. The eyeliner under his eyes makes his look even more powerful. As if he had even foreseen her question, he says:

'Tradition among my family. All men and women use it. They say it's a mark of respect.'

'Then I will have to use it in your company,' she whispers.

It is the first time that she seems truly comfortable in his presence.

'I know it must sound terribly silly, but I wouldn't say no for a kiss, right now,' she finally confesses.

'All right.'

Ardyn cups her face again, granting her with the most passionate kiss. He showers her with soft caresses all over her body.

'I was waiting for your consent,' he whispers in her ear.

'You have it,' she answers in the same tone.

They look at each other with fascinated expressions on their faces.

'What happens, now?' she asks after a minute or two.

'Depends on you. You are free to sleep on my bed if you don't want to go further.'

He says these words very simply and very calmly, seemingly unwilling to insist.

'If it implies sleeping in your arms...' she says, smiling.

Ardyn seems surprised:

'I didn't expect that from you.'

'It wouldn't do any harm.'

She runs her fingers through his violet hair. All of a sudden, they seem more intimate than ever.

'Your question of before troubled me,' he whispers.

'What question?'

'You asked if I was going to rape you. How am I supposed to touch you now without feeling guilty of doing so?'

Marlys takes a deep breath.

'You won't need bothering for that now. I changed my mind about you. You're definitely not like the others.'

'How can you be so sure?' he asked, the smile reappearing on his face.

'Because you're a gentleman,' she answers, her own smile broadening.

'Let's say that I play my cards close to my chest.'

It is his turn to play with her hair, curling her strands around his fingers. Then he whispers in her ear:

'I can play so many parts that you'd be jealous, my beautiful actress.'

His flattery, as well as his soft perfume, make her feel dizzy. She can feel her heart thumping in her chest while realising her true feelings for him. She doesn't know what to answer anymore. She is seduced by his whole being.

'I don't know if it is wise, but I think I want you, Ardyn,' she ends up saying, gulping uncomfortably.

'Is that so?' he asks, a mischievous smile on his lips.

He suddenly picks her up once again and brings her to the bed. After removing her dress, his hands don't stop caressing her. Soon bare-chested himself, he kisses her body with the uppermost sensuality, before finally making love to her.

It is five in the morning. Ardyn, still bare-chested, sits against the heaboard. He is smoking a cigarette.

'You beat all my assumptions,' he says casually.

'What do you mean?' Marlys mumbles.

She lies on her belly, the sheets partially covering her naked body. Her eyes are closed. She seems exhausted by the night that they spent together.

'I was expecting more resistance from you. And yet, you gave yourself to me. Why?'

'I told you,' she responds, annoyed. 'I feel that you're different.'

She turns her head on the other side, seemingly wanting to sleep.

'And what if I am not?'

'For fuck sake, Ardyn, some hours ago you finally convinced me that you were a good guy and now, what do I have to believe, huh? That you played your part well and managed to hook me as you wished?'

Her voice is so tired that it is husky.

'Maybe,' he answers.

A smile appears on his lips.

'Well, to hell with that. It doesn't make any difference. Let me sleep, for the gods' sake...'

'Why doesn't it make any difference?' he asks all of a sudden, finishing his cigarette with a last puff.

He stubs it out in the ashtray on the night table.

'Because it could have been anybody else. I am too dumb to refuse anyway. Business is business.'

Ardyn's face looks paler than before. Anger can be seen in his amber eyes. With a very brisk movement, he takes her by the waist and makes her turn to him. Marlys gasps in astonishment, fear covering her face.

'What the fuck are you talking about?!' he shouts with fury, still holding her. 'How can you talk about yourself like that?!'

'Well, I am a whore, that's what I am, that's what you paid me for!' she screams hoarsely, tears appearing in her eyes.

He's suddenly troubled by her weakness. He releases her, his eyes out of focus.

'It was the only way to get through to you...' he says, this time calmly. 'How can you believe that one night with you has a price? It is nonsense to consider your life in this kind of fashion.'

Marlys doesn't say anything. She hid her face in her cushion, sniffing.

'Life is too precious to be counted in gils,' he adds firmly. 'You have to reconsider it.'

This time, Marlys raises her head, tears still flowing from her eyes:

'Well, you're gonna be disappointed if you think that I am to reconsider my life by becoming your wife. Because dream or not, I am unable to make children!'

All of a sudden, Ardyn looks at her in bewilderment.

'And don't try to say things like: "it's gonna be fine", "with time it can come", because it won't be that way, ok?' Marlys says, her voice muffled partly by her cushion.

Ardyn keeps silent. He seems lost in his thoughts again. After a couple of seconds, he hears her steady breathing, indicating that she fell asleep.


	3. No smoke without fire

**No smoke without fire**

It is eleven o'clock in the same morning. Marlys wakes up in Ardyn's bed. She is alone in the room. Hey eyes are heavy and swollen. Shadows can be seen underneath. She gets up, covering her body with a blanket. Her attention is attracted by a radio on Ardyn's desk. Squinting, she goes in its direction and turns it on.

'Reports keep coming from Elios, the blessed capital of Solheim. However, at this precise moment, we do not have enough information to speculate...'

Marlys looks at herself in the mirror, trying to rearrange her hair who looks more like a mane after the busy night.

'Let's repeat the current events to our dear listeners while waiting for the interviews of our reporters. Elios, the blessed capital of Solheim, has been in fire since three o'clock this morning. According to the last news, the fire was of such importance that it could not be dealt with. No explanation has been given so far as to the cause of this catastrophy, but we will of course keep you informed as soon as possible.'

While listening to the news, Marlys seems in shock. She leaves the room hastily. She finds Ardyn sitting in the living-room, reading a newspaper.

'Have you heard the news?' she asks, her voice still a bit husky.

'As everybody,' he replies, pointing the newspaper. 'It's everywhere.'

'What do they say?'

She gets closer to him, trying to find some answers in the columns of the newspaper.

'Nothing that you don't know about. It's only gossip.'

'How is it even possible? How can the whole city be in fire?'

She collapses in the armchair in front of him.

'We don't know what happened,' he says very calmly. 'Only rumours are spreading.'

'What kind of rumours?'

Ardyn chortles softly.

'They say that our mighty god of fire, Ifrit, didn't appreciate Solheim's tower. That to take revenge, he would have set fire to the whole city.'

There is irony in his voice.

'Well, that would make sense,' Marlys mumbles, a bit lost in her thoughts.

'Come on, my dear, do you really believe this sort of fairy tale? You, the most rational of all people I've ever met?'

He looks very amused all of a sudden.

'Coffee?' he asks casually.

'Yes, please. Why? Wouldn't you believe it?'

'There are so many things that we can believe in,' Ardyn says, his voice coming from the kitchen. 'I was raised in a family worshipping the gods. Their whole culture was permeated by mythology. So... If you believe in this kind of stuff, the Ifrit theory is a good idea, indeed.'

He comes back with a mug full of coffee, some milk and sugar. He puts them on the table with a little 'there you are'.

'Thank you. Well, what else could it be?'

Marlys seems fascinated by the mere thought of it. She starts to imagine all the possibilities that could explain the fire in Elios.

'Have you ever been there?' she asks after a couple of minutes.

'Where?'

'The imperial capital.'

She helps herself with two little lumps of sugar before mixing them with a spoon.

'Nope,' Ardyn answers. 'Never had the pleasure. I could have served, though. Some of my brothers left the tribe to enlist. It is a choice I didn't make.'

'Why?'

His particular mischievous smile reappears on his lips:

'Because I simply like a comfortable life. The single idea to sleep under the stars makes me shiver.'

Marlys has a little laugh that makes her nearly choke, as she had just taken a gulp of coffee.

'But you must have slept under the stars...,' she says, frowning. 'Isn't that the life of a nomad?'

'Well, we barely ever slept in tents, if it is what you mean. We used to seek out here and there, and when the opportunity brought us some lodgings, we simply stayed.'

'So you mean, you never slept under the stars?'

'I would lie if I said the contrary, but those are memories that I do not wish to recall.'

This brings an end to the conversation. Marlys begins to understand that Ardyn doesn't like to talk much about him and is thus very secretive about his past.

After finishing her coffee, Marlys feels that she abused her host's hospitality long enough. Also, she wants to study her part for the next representation of the play, who would be this evening.

'May I go back to Lestallum, now?'

'Of course,' Ardyn replies, without batting an eye. 'Give me five minutes and we will be going.'

Just as he pronounces these words, a noise of broken glass comes from the kitchen. Before he can say anything, a seismic tremor makes the whole appartment tremble. It lasts for less than five seconds, but it is sufficient to make Marlys scared:

'What the fuck?'

Even Ardyn seems surprised.

'Does it happen often, this stuff?'

'Well, as far as I am concerned, I'm used to earthquakes, but this was one of a kind,' Ardyn responds. 'Anyway... I'm going to clean the mess in the kitchen. You can prepare yourself.'

Once they reach the car, Marlys is uncertain about what to tell when they would go their separate ways. Would it be the last time that they see eachother? Would he insist on seeing her again? If so, would she be ready to accept? The annoying part was that her feelings for him seemed to be more serious than what she had expected.

Ardyn starts the engine. The air of Leide is soft and warm on Marlys' skin. She is amazed with the beauty of the landscape. Neither of them speaks while the car gets nearer and nearer to the west.

After twenty minutes of travel, however, they get stuck in a huge row of vehicles.

'Wait, I'm gonna check,' Marlys says.

She opens the door and makes a few steps forward. She sees the silhouette of a military soldier a bit further. He's chatting with several angry-looking people.

'... it's been two hours already! My family is thirsty!'

'... you cannot keep us waiting forever!'

'... my daughter is over there! I want to be sure she is fine!'

'What's happening?' Marlys asks when she reaches the imperial soldier.

'There's been a serious catastrophy near Lestallum. The fall of a big meteor. We installed a security perimeter. All entry to the city is forbidden until further notice.'

Marlys feels her stomach aching by hearing those words.

'What of the city? What's happening down there?' she asks.

'According to the last news, the impact provoked a hell of damage in the city. But it could have been far worse. Just listen, you'll see.'

He hands her a portable radio. She turns it on.

'- Professor Miuta, could you please explain the effects of the fall of a meteor of this size?'

'- By all means. The fall of such a meteor does not only usually provoke tremors, but also a high peak of heat in the area of the impact. It means that it should burn everything in a radius of approximately 2,5 miles. No need to tell that all forms of life would have been wiped out in the area. However, fortunately for Lestallum, it is situated at slightly more than twelve miles from the impact. Of course, the city must have been damaged immeasurably, but let's keep in mind that we avoided the worst.'

'- Professor Miuta, what do you think about this rumour concerning the possible wrath of the Infernian?'

'- Well, I am here to explain the facts, not to speculate about the causes. However, - and maybe it will make my detractors shiver - there are always possibilities that it was a simple natural incident.'

'I heard enough,' Marlys simply says, giving the radio back to the soldier.

She goes back to the car where Ardyn is still waiting. She opens the mouth to explain, but he cuts her off:

'Don't waste your time, I've just heard everything on the radio.'

'What am I gonna do...?' Marlys mumbles, collapsing in her chair.

She takes her face into her hands.

'Lestallum is my living,' she says. 'If there is no theatre... no Lestallum anymore...'

Ardyn does not let her finish her sentence:

'Wait before losing hope.'

'Wait? How can I just sit and wait while the whole world is going crazy? First Elios, now Lestallum... something is terribly wrong.'

'You're right,' Ardyn says, looking thoughtful. 'Something strange is happening.'

'You didn't dream anything this night, did you?'

She almost regrets having said that. It was more a joke than anything.

'I don't think I slept for more than one minute this night. So no, I didn't dream of anything.'

There is a little pause. Then Ardyn raises his voice again:

'You know what? Obviously, it seems wrong to stay here. You need to relax for now. So, what if I offer you something for lunch?'

Because she wants to leave the anxiety of the situation, she decides to accept the proposition regretfully, but she knows she won't be able to swallow anything without being sure that she can or cannot go back to Lestallum.


	4. The miracle

Two days had passed after the tragedies of Elios and the Meteor. Marlys had had no choice but to stay at Ardyn's place for the time being. She was very worried about her mother, who had been in Lestallum at the time of the fall of the Meteor. However, there was no possible way to contact her, as all communications with the city were cut.

That morning, as Marlys was finishing her bowl of milk, she took her decision:

'I'm leaving for Lestallum today.'

Ardyn stared at her, a slightly surprised look on his face.

'I don't care about their barricades,' she added. 'There is no way they can forbid me to see my mother. I don't even know if she is still alive.'

There was a little pause, during which Ardyn seemed lost in his thoughts.

'I will help you,' he replied.

In the car, on the road to Lestallum, they found their way to an abandoned gas station. The neglected state of the place showed them the effects of the fall of the Meteor.

A bit further, they ended up on the road they had been forced to leave two days before. This time, the row of cars had disappeared. There were only imperial soldiers patrolling near a wall of electric cables.

When they reached it with the car, one of the soldiers approached Ardyn:

'Your papers, please.'

Ardyn did as he asked.

'You are not from Lestallum,' the soldier commented. 'What brings you into the city?'

'I am from Lestallum,' said Marlys. 'It's been three days that I've been out of the city, and I absolutely need to see my mother who lives there.'

'What's the name of your mother?' the soldiers asked.

'Why this question?' Marlys replied, a bit surprised.

'Well, listen. We interrupted the traffic in Lestallum for a reason. There are countless people out there needing medical support. If all people from Eos were granted access to the city, the medics couldn't get there in time. Lives are at stake.'

But Marlys did not seem convinced:

'Is that so? Who in the world would want to visit Lestallum at times like these, I'm asking you? Do you think I'm here for fun? I want to see my mum, and this means that I'm willing to help, and you are not in a position to...'

Suddenly, Ardyn raised his voice to ease the atmosphere:

'What she is trying to say, is that she will do whatever it takes to enter. Including mentioning the name of her mother.'

He looked at her with insistence, seemingly willing to keep the peace.

'Oh, right,' she sighed, rolling her eyes. 'Her name's Rosa Da Costa.'

A bit abashed, the imperial soldier checked his virtual register.

'And you are?' he asked after a couple of seconds.

Marlys couldn't be more exasperated. She handed him her ID before saying:

'Marlys Da Costa, her daughter.'

'You may pass,' the soldier finally said, a bit regretfully.

Ardyn started the engine again, leading them to the remains of the tunnel of Lestallum. The whole tunnel seemed to have crumbled following the fall of the Meteor, leaving large pieces of stone on the ground.

'Don't hit anything with the car,' Marlys said.

Although the task proved itself more and more difficult while they got nearer and nearer from Lestallum, they finally managed to park on the side of the road.

There, images of horror were waiting for them. While most of the buildings were in ruin, the rest of them were ostensibly falling apart. Medical vehicles were parked everywhere there was space. Marlys would have thought that she would hear people crying and screaming. But there was nothing of the sort: a strange cold silence filled the city, so joyous before. They saw a research team ordering their dogs to search for survivors in the ruins of an old restaurant. The whole atmosphere made Marlys so sick that she merely fainted. Ardyn caught her and lead her to a back alley where she couldn't hold herself and started to vomit.

Ardyn showed a very concerned look on his face as he had a hand on her back.

'Are you alright?' he asked.

'I will... feel better if I see my mum alive,' she stammered, her face as white as parchment.

She was still shaking when Ardyn took her further.

'It's this way,' she said, her eyes a bit out of focus.

There it was, the house where she had been living her whole childhood. At first, she was shocked at the state of it. It was true: it was in ruin, but much less than some other buildings which had been wiped out from the surface. Only the first floor had been blown up and a part of the stairs could be seen, going up in the void.

'Mum.'

Marlys started to run as if her life depended on it. She pushed the main door and found herself in the living room, where pieces of the ceiling had crumbled on the floor.

Rosa Da Costa was sleeping in the sofa, breathing feebly but steadily. Marlys ran to her and woke her up gently, patting her on the arm:

'Mum?'

She opened her eyes and had a start as soon as she noticed her daughter:

'Good gracious, Marlys, you're alive!'

She straightened up and took her daughter in her arms.

'I've been looking everywhere for you!' she cried, tears flowing from her eyes. 'Where were you?'

'I was safe... in Leide. But mum, you look pale. Are you sure you are alright?'

There was an embarrassing silence. Rosa Da Costa was staring at Ardyn who had just entered the room. Marlys turned around:

'Mum, this is... Ardyn, a friend. I've been staying at his place since the fall of the meteor.'

Ardyn took off his hat as a sign of politeness.

'Well, I guess I should thank you for sheltering my daughter. Let us—'

But she didn't finish her sentence. She leaned once again against her pillow, a weak expression on her face. She was very white, and her features were gaunt. Marlys could tell that something terrible had happened:

'Mum, what's going on? Did you fall at the time of the impact?'

'I'm... not the only one,' she answered simply, her eyes out of focus.

'What do you mean, you're not the only one?'

'It's the scourge. The neighbour and her son, little Pablo, have it too. The gods have cursed us. The meteor brought sickness to us.'

Marlys looked at her mother without understanding. What was she talking about? A scourge? A curse from the skies? No... It could not be. She was simply in a state of shock, nothing more.

'I am happy that you do not suffer from it, my sweet. It is terrible. It consumes the mind with dark thoughts... I am also always cold... it is terrible, terrible, my dearest...'

'But surely... if we call a doctor, you are going to be fine, mum.'

'No doctor can cure this, my child. It's been three days already. Nearly all of Lestallum has been infected.'

'How come nobody talked about it?' Marly wondered aloud.

'Because no journalist has dared entering the city since the news spread. We are cursed. Maybe you should go away, my dearest. Before you catch it yourself...'

'There is no way I'm going to leave you! Ardyn, please, could you fetch her some tea? She's so cold...'

Ardyn approved and made his way to the kitchen.

Marlys helped her mother to lie down again before adjusting the cover to make her warm.

'There is always a way,' Marlys whispered, more to herself than to her mother.

'I am very weak,' the latter said. 'I have nightmares. I dream of death. I dream of dark shadows surrounding me... Do you think it's the future?'

'No, certainly not,' Marlys replied, unsure but firmly trying to believe that all of that was because of the shock.

This is where it happened. Ardyn had come back with a mug full of hot tea. He had kneeled to give it right in the hands of Marlys' mother. Then, exactly at the spot where their hands had touched each other, there had been a flash of bright light.

The three of them looked bewildered at the strange light. It seemed to transfer itself in Marlys' mother's whole body. A short moment later, it was gone.

Rosa Da Costa nearly dropped her cup. There had been a sudden change. Her features were not gaunt anymore; she was not pale as before. All the true colours of her face were coming back.

'It's very hot in here,' she mumbled suddenly.

'What the hell— just— happened?' Marlys asked, staring at Ardyn.

He stared back, a stunned expression on his face.

'I have no idea,' he answered briskly.

'Is this again a nomad thing? Your family cured people?'

'No. Absolutely not. I never learned anything of the sort.'

'So just tell me what happened!'

'I told you I have no idea!'

Ardyn stayed calm, but deep inside, he was very confused.

'How do you feel, mum?' Marlys asked.

'Much better. But I will have a little nap, if it doesn't bother you.'

'Good timing. I'll talk with Ardyn meanwhile.'

Both of them let Marlys' mother rest and made their way to the kitchen.

'Do you realise what you've just done?' Marlys asked sharply.

'What, you think I did it on purpose?'

'You've just cured my mother! She says there are plenty of other people out there sick, needing to be cured... You have to act!'

'Hold on a moment,' Ardyn said defensively. 'How do you know I cured her? She just feels a bit better, that's probably the tea—'

'Of course! The magical cup of camomile shining bright like the sun! That has to be it!'

Her irony didn't seem to amuse him at all. Ardyn couldn't admit it possible.

'Look, this is completely ridiculous—'

'No, it's not! You saw it like me! That light, coming from you, going to my mum's body! You've just cured her! And there is a chance it might work for other people out there!'

Ardyn was still not convinced. Of course, he had seen a light, and he didn't know what it meant, but he was not as keen as Marlys to draw such conclusions.

'Let's admit— simply admit that your mother got cured. I'm ready to bet anything you want that when I'll touch another sick person, nothing is going to happen. Excuse me but I don't believe in those miracle stories, especially if I'm included in them.'

'Alright. Let's bet three thousands gils!'

Marlys had a broad smile on her face. She had forgotten everything about Elios in flames, the fall of the meteor, or the whole Lestallum crumbling like an old city in ruins. All that mattered now was Ardyn, and she was convinced that he would soon accomplish new miracles.


End file.
